Worker dies in Innolux workplace accident in Tainan

Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) A 41-year-old worker died in an industrial accident late Saturday at a plant operated by Innolux Corp. in the Southern Taiwan Science Park, prompting a labor inspection by park authorities.

The Tainan Fire Department said it received a report at 8:46 p.m. that a male worker had been injured and lost consciousness at the facility.

Firefighters arriving at the scene found the man with a forehead laceration after being pinned down by a large machine.

The man had no signs of life and was in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest when he was transported to Chi Mei Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 11 p.m.

No further details on the worker's identity or the type of machine involved were provided by the department.

Preliminary results of an inspection by the Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau found that the worker was operating the machine when a suspected malfunction disengaged its safety interlock, causing the man to get caught in the machine and his upper body to be crushed.

Innolux said in a statement Sunday that it regretted the incident, and that it had immediately sent the worker to the hospital and notified relevant authorities.

The company said it would fully cooperate with the investigation and conduct a comprehensive review of its standard operating procedures and on-site safety protections to determine the cause.

The Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau said other machines of the same model involved in the incident have been shut down pending further investigation.

Authorities said the case violated Article 57 of the Regulations for Occupational Safety and Health Equipment and Measures, which requires employers to shut down machinery or its feeding function when it may endanger workers during cleaning, oiling, inspection or repair.